When the news broke this week that Prince William’s wife Kate Middleton is suffering from a rare pregnancy disorder called Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) I instantly felt nauseous.

Oh Kate! I thought, it’s hell, isn’t it?

I know what HG is like because I have been there.

As awful as I feel for Kate, though, I am hopeful that her suffering might shed more light and research on this oft misunderstood and diagnosed disorder.

Everyone has heard of “morning sickness,” but HG is not even close – it is like “all the time sickness.” It is not confined to the morning or to the first few weeks of pregnancy and can cause death to the mother and to her unborn baby.

I had severe HG when I was pregnant with my first son Brice, now 7. I lost twenty pounds during my

18 weeks pregnant - just after I was in the hospital for one of many IV treatments for HG. I remember feeling so sick for this photo.

first trimester and spent a good portion of the pregnancy in the hospital on IV medications, nutrition and fluids because I could not even keep water down orally. I could not eat, drink, work, work out, read (reading made the nausea worse), travel, etc.

And, I was lucky! Not every woman who has HG has a baby, or healthy baby, at the end. Marlena Schoenberg Fejzo, the doctor leading research on HG, lost her second baby to complications from HG at fifteen weeks. She tells her story here on a You Tube video.

My HG was not as severe with my second child Brady, 4, but I did need to take anti-vomiting and nausea medications that are used to treat chemotherapy patients from the day of my positive pregnancy test until he was born.

And, Brady was born with health complications that persist to this day. I have asked myself many times, could the potent medications I needed to preserve my pregnancy with Brady led to his issues? I don’t know.

There is currently no known cause of HG, but researchers at UCLA are working hard to identify risk factors, propensity of it returning with subsequent pregnancies, implications on babies born to mothers that had HG and, hopefully, one day a cause and cure.

I am one of 764 women from across the country that has had HG and has given my DNA to USC for research (it was extremely easy – just a mouth swab)

I am also one of 1317 women that have had HG that has allowed the research team full access to my health and pregnancy records and participated in a phone survey and online survey about HG.

There is no payment or compensation to participate in any of this research, my motivation is to help raise awareness of HG and find a cause and cure.

The team still needs participants, though, and you do not have to have had HG to do so! Researchers need women who have given birth at least twice, but who have NOT had HG to serve as part of the control group. My very generous friend Liz did this and I so appreciate it.

You can also participate if you have had HG that required medical treatment including IV hydration, TPN, or not oral feeding (or both)

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Contributors

For more than two decades, Kristine Bruneau has made a career from writing and marketing communications, working for ad agencies, nonprofits, and small businesses. Her commentaries, stories, and reviews have appeared in a variety of publications, including Rochester Magazine and Rochester Woman Magazine. She posts regularly to her Mommy Musings blog at kristinebruneau.com where she explores lessons learned from her son on motherhood, love, and life. Kris is currently working on a book inspired by these lessons and their resulting conundrums. She loves comments and feedback, so send her a note at kristinebruneau@me.com.

is an award-winning communications professional with 25 years experience working in journalism and public relations and with social media. She is also a comedian and has learned that weaving humor into all situations makes communication and life more enjoyable for all involved. She is an adjunct college professor and recently started her own company, Dresden Public Relations, to enable her to be a more-present mom for her two young daughters. One is adopted, one has cerebral palsy, both are beautiful and extraordinary, and life at her house is a fabulous adventure.

Claire Goverts is a working mom to a curious toddler girl on the go. A Buffalo to Rochester transplant, Claire enjoys exploring more of the area, which suits toddler fine. The zoo is a current favorite. She enjoys trying new things with daughter, including crafting ‘new’ play items. Such as coffee can turned drum, container, and mirror. She also shares a love of nature and the outdoors with her daughter.

And in her spare time Claire enjoys creative pursuits. Be in drawing, photography, jewelry making, and of course writing. She would like to publish novels one day, and has several National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) wins under her belt.

Tree Marino is a 30-something mother of tween/teen daughters. She works full time, while her husband stays home with the girls. This was not always the case. When the girls were younger she was a stay-at-home mom (who rarely stayed at home). Tree works toward making her family more green without ruffling to many feathers (inside the family and out). You might find her planning a casual event for her daughters' school or running her small business.

is a busy single mom of two busy boys from Brockport - Brice, 7, and Brady Patrick, 4. A graduate of the University of Rochester, she writes freelance articles and The Brockport Blog for The Democrat and Chronicle. She is also a contributing writer to Rochester Woman Magazine and a former reporter for Messenger Post Newspapers. Caurie enjoys being a hockey mom, photography, swimming, and life guarding at the YMCA. Look to her Mom Blog for pieces on parenting a child with special needs and parenting as a single mom. You can reach her at www.caurie.com or caurie@urgrad.rochester.edu

Debra Ross is publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, an online resource for parents who want to know about the cultural, educational, and recreational opportunities for kids in their local area.

She is a weekly guest on two morning radio shows in Rochester, WARM 101.3 and Fickle 93.3 and also appears often on local television. She and her husband, David Ross, a professor at RIT, home school their daughters Madison, 13, and Ella, 11. They live in Brighton.